It took a moment for the statement to sink in. “What do you mean: gone?” He asked in a whisper. Valerie reached across the table and tightly grasped his hand.
“Penny was at your cabin in Colorado. It looks like she may have been heading into town when there was a blowout. The car smashed through a cliff side guardrail. She is dead, Tom.”
“No!” He shouted, bolting to his feet and then slowly sinking back onto the seat. “She can’t be. It must have been someone else!” He was shaking, his eyes darting from side to side, trying to find a plausible explanation, and failing. “How can… Are they sure? How do they know, for sure?”
“Tom, they wouldn’t have notified me if they weren’t. Penny’s folks got the call from the sheriff yesterday afternoon and contacted Mission Support. Her mom, dad and sister are en route to tend to things on your behalf. You can get in touch with them when you are able and let your wishes be known. Other than that, we’re stuck out here with at least twenty-two months to go. Twenty-six if we land.”
Tom blinked a few times, wide-eyed and bewildered. “If we land?” he repeated, while swallowing as if to keep from being sick.
“Well, if it came right down to it, Morgan said a fly-by, swinging around Mars with a free-return trajectory could put us back home in about twenty-two months. They would have to launch a splashdown capsule for us, but it’s an option… Just in case we need it,” Valerie patted his clenched hands, trying to comfort him or trying to lend support.
“Tom, I know this is totally out of the blue. No one could ever have imagined a freak accident like this happening to one of our loved ones. Hell, I didn’t even have a clue about Sally getting divorced until just a few moments ago. But, turn this around and look at it from the other side.” She gave him a moment to comprehend, but it just wasn’t sinking in.